During poll campaign, let Modi speak about injustice done by his govt towards Karnataka: CM

New Delhi: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has written to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging the state government to enact a law named Rohith Vemula Act for ensuring that no one faces caste-based discrimination in the education system.

In his letter to the Karnataka CM, Gandhi highlighted the discrimination BR Ambedkar faced in his lifetime.

"Here he describes an incident during a long bullock cart journey: 'There was plenty of food with us. There was hunger burning within us; with all this we were to sleep without food; that was because we could get no water, and we could get no water because we were untouchables'.

"He tells us about his experience in school: 'I knew I was an untouchable, and that untouchables were subjected to certain indignities and discriminations. For instance, I knew that in the school I could not sit in the midst of my classmates according to my rank, but I was to sit in a corner by myself'," Gandhi said quoting Ambedkar.

The Congress leader said Siddaramaiah would agree that what Ambedkar faced was shameful and should not be endured by any child in India.

"It is a shame that even today millions of students from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities have to face such brutal discrimination in our educational system," Gandhi said.

"The murder of bright young people like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki is simply not acceptable. It is time to put a firm end to this. I urge the Karnataka government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act so that no child of India has to face what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Rohit Vemula and millions of others have had to endure," Gandhi said in his letter to the Karnataka chief minister dated April 16.

Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student, died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination, in 2016.

Sharing the letter on X, Gandhi said, "Recently, I met students and teachers from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities in Parliament. During the conversation, they told me how they have to face caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities." Ambedkar had shown that education is the only means by which even the deprived can become empowered and break the caste system, Gandhi said.

But it is very unfortunate that even after decades, lakhs of students are facing caste discrimination in our education system, he said.

"This discrimination has taken the lives of promising students like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki. Such horrific incidents cannot be tolerated at any cost. Now is the time to put a complete stop to this injustice," he said.

"I have written a letter to Siddaramaiah ji and requested that the Rohith Vemula Act be implemented in Karnataka. No child in India should face the casteism that Babasaheb Ambedkar, Rohith Vemula and crores of people have suffered," he said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the operation of certain parts of the contentious Waqf law, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Waqf boards and council, till the next date of hearing on May 5. The Chief Justice-led bench also said that the 'waqf by user' provision should not be denotified till then.

The Centre assured the Supreme Court that no appointments would be made to Waqf boards. The new law tweaks the composition of Waqf boards, making it compulsory to include non-Muslims as its members.

"SG (Tushar) Mehta assured that till the next date, no appointment shall take place to board and councils under the 2025 Act. He also assures that the status of waqfs, including waqf by user, already declared by notification or gazetted, shall not be changed," the court said in its order.

The Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, sought 7-days' time to file a response. The court allowed the petitioners to file their rejoinder within five days after that.

Details awaited.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday visited the residence of 35-year-old Bharat Bhushan, in Mathikere, Bengaluru, who was shot dead in front of his family by terrorists in Pahalgam and paid his final respects.

Offering condolences on behalf of all Kannadigas to Bharat Bhushan, the Chief Minister said it is extremely unfortunate that a young, well-educated man like him became a victim of a terror strike.

He strongly condemned the attack as a barbaric and inhuman act.

To facilitate the safe return of Kannada-speaking individuals stranded in Kashmir and to bring back the mortal remains of the deceased, Labour Minister Santosh Lad and a team of officials were immediately dispatched. So far, 175 Kannadigas have been safely brought back to the state.

“It is the government’s duty to protect Kannadigas in difficult times,” the CM stated.

The Karnataka government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the Kannadigas who lost their lives in the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, he added.

“It is the government’s responsibility to completely eradicate terrorism. Our government extends full support to the Centre in eliminating terrorist activities in the country,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

“Killing innocent people in broad daylight and in front of their families is a heinous crime. Similar to the past Pulwama and Balakot incidents, this is a recurrence. Intelligence failure at the Central level may have contributed to this incident as well,” he observed.

The Chief Minister has directed officials to make necessary arrangements for conducting the final rites of Manjunath Rao and Bharat Bhushan with police honours.

The victims from Karnataka include Bharat Bhushan, Manjunath Rao, and Madhusudan (who had settled in Bengaluru, hailing from Andhra Pradesh). Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy has met Bharat Bhushan’s family in Bengaluru, while Minister for Education Madhu Bangarappa met Manjunath Rao’s family in Shivamogga and assured them of support. 

Regarding the terror attack in Kashmir, the Chief Minister said the Central government has already initiated certain measures, and the state government will extend complete support for further steps aimed at eliminating terrorism.

Bharat Bhushan had gone on a Kashmir trip with his wife, Dr Sujata, a paediatrician, and toddler son.

The family stated that the gang of terrorists approached him and asked his name. When Bharat told them his name without any fear. The terrorists then asked him to hand over his son to his wife, Sujata. Later, they had asked him whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim. When Bharat said he was a Hindu, he was shot dead.